Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to ″ litle ones. 26Yea Father; for so hath it wel pleased thee. 27Al things are delivered me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father: neither doth any know the Father, but the Sonne, and to whom it shal please the Sonne to reveale. 28Come ye to me al that labour, and are burdened, and I wil refresh you. 29Take up my yoke upon you, and learne of me, because I am meeke, and humble of hart: and you shal find rest to your soules. 30For my ″ yoke is sweet, and my burden light. ✠
ANNOTATIONS
CHAP. XI.
3. Art thou he.) John himself doubted not, for he baptized him and gave great testimonie of him before: Jo. 1. But because his Disciples knew him not, nor esteemed of him so much as of John their owne Maister, therfore did he send them unto Christ, that by occasion of Christs answer he might the better instruct them what he was, & so make them Christs Disciples, preferring them to a better Maister.
Eremitical life.7. What went you out.) High commendation of Johns holines, as wel for his fasting, rough attire, solitary life, and constancie, as for the dignitie of his function.
7. Into the desert.) The faithful people in al ages resorted of devotion into wildernes, to see men of special and rare holines, Prophets, Eremites, Anchorites &c. to have their prayers or ghostly counsel. See S. Hierom de vita Hilarionis.
Elias.15. Elias.) As Elias shal be the messenger of Christs latter comming, so was John his messenger and Precursour at his former comming: & therfore is he called Elias; because of his like office and like spirit. Luc. 1. Grego. ho. 7. in Evang.
18. Eating and drinking.) The wicked quarrelers of the world misconstre easely al the actes and life of good men. If they be great fasters and austere livers, they are blasphemed & counted hypocrites: if they converse with other men in ordinary manner, then they be counted dissolute.
21. Penance in sackcloth.) By this sackcloth and ashes added here, & in other places, wee see evidently that Penance is not only leaving of former sinnes, and change or amendment of life past, no nor bare sorowfulnes or recounting of our offenses already committed, but requireth punishment and chastisement of our Persons by these and such other meanes, as the Scriptures do els where set forth, and therfore concerning the word also, it is rather to be called Pennance, as in our translation; then (as the Adversaries, of purpose avoyding the word) Repentance or Amendment of life: & that according to the very usual signification of the Μετανοια* Greeke word in the most ancient Ecclesiastical Greeke writers: who for Penitents (which in the primitive Church did publike Pennance) say * Dionys. Eccl. hier. c. 3. in initio.* οι εν μετανοια οντες that is, Men that are doing Pennance. And concerning that part of Pennance which is Confession, the Ecclesiastical historie calleth it by the same Greeke word, and the Penitents comming to confession, τους μετανοουντας. Sozam. li. 76. 16. Socrat. li. 5. c. 19.
25. Litle ones.) These litle ones do not signifie here only the unlearned, as though Coblers and weavers and women, & girles had this revelation, & therfore do understand al Scriptures and are able to expound them: but here are signified the humble, whether they be learned or unlearned: as when he sayth, Mt. 18, 3.unles you become as litle ones, you shal not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And so also the greatest Doctours (who as they were most learned, so most humbled themselves to the judgement of the Catholike Church) are these litle ones: and Heretikes, who although unlearned, yet vant their knowledge & their spirit of understanding above al ancient Fathers and the whole Church, can not be of these litle and humble ones.
The commandements possible.30. Yoke sweet.) What is this light burden and sweet Yoke, but his commandements, of which S. John saith 1. Ep. 5. His commandements are not heavy? cleane contrary to the Adversaries that say, they are unpossible to be kept.
